Once upon a time, there was a very stupid girl named Angelique. She was in love with an equally stupid boy. One day, idiot Angelique was at a ball and happened upon yet another dumb- dumb named Mason. Mason was a catch, to be sure. He was loud and popular so even though Angelique was previously spoken for, she danced with Mason and allowed him to court her. That is...until her fiancé caught wind of it.

Unsuspecting Mason was summoned to Angelique's house. He brought with him his Mother and Father, expecting good news. The black eye he left with as well as the shaming that accompanied it was one for the ages.

Angelique lost her engagement, but it didn't end there. Her father, seeing a more lucrative opportunity with yet another duke, for he was a lowly baron, encouraged Angelique to get herself engaged yet again.

So she did.

Until that new fiancé's estate's shaky financial situation broke out into yet another scandal.

Shamefaced, and twenty-two, Angelique returned to her hometown and decided to drown her sorrows in a night at the theater with her mother.

When low and behold, who does she meet...? Why, none other than dummy Mason's parents. Angelique was nervous about seeing Mason again; though he was all she could think about for quite some time, according to her.

So when she arrived the next day, after being invited, to see Mason wringing his hands in worry over his sister's governess's bed, Angelique was heartbroken. Little did she know, she had just met her luckiest asset because said governess had no interest in love.

Her heart was simply not fit for it.

But her skills at running a house was unparalleled.

This was a tough assignment to be sure. And I loved it.

Angelique was tall, far taller than I, slender, and certainly easy on the eyes. Her raven black hair hung in long curls along her pale shoulders and would surely compliment Mason's when they had children.

Her slim figure made dress selections very easy as well.

Five days after my recovery, she walked into the family room before the house awoke and I looked her up and down.

"What do you think?" the duchess asked me.

I turned to her and announced, "I've seen worse. Her posture's very good and as her height matches his, I'm sure they'll make a handsome pair."

Till now, Angelique said not a word to me. In fact, she directed all questions to Mason's mother. "Ma'am, are you certain I have a chance? I was so awful to him."

"You certainly have a chance," I said, interrupting. "You've made a terrible impression. The best you can do is start making a better new one. Mason does not like to lose, in anything, in fact, he'll revisit a game again and again. You are that game."

Her breath caught but Duchess Chamberlain was free of all pretense.

"You know my son very well."

I cocked my head and lowered my gaze with a bow. "I know that we cannot make it too easy. Yes. But first, we must prime him."

Arms folded, she said, "Go on."

Showing was easier than telling. Angelique had to make her presence known. Previously, when Mason saw her, he barely paid her any mind due to my fever. In an ideal world, they would have met and perhaps yelled out any hurt.

He did not give her that chance or even the chance to lie. Instead, he stomped by her, retrieved one doctor, moved by her yet again and retrieved two more.

Instead of her presence shocking him after such a long hiatus, it proved more of an inconvenience.

That was unacceptable. Mason's mother hoped to introduce Angelique in a slow fashion. I advised against this and instead took to making breakfast that very morning.

It was hard getting everything perfect. At first, Angelique invited herself along but the moment she stopped fluffing the eggs too early, I snatched the pan from her and pointed at the corner.

"Please, stand there and do not touch anything at all."

I had pancakes and muffins ready in no time. Partaking in my own meal wasn't something I had the chance to do but even my mouth watered at the sweet aroma filling the house.

The cook stepped before Angelique more than once to keep her out of my way.

For Mason, the biggest concern was his coffee. He was very particular about how it was made. At first, he'd insisted he hated coffee but a nobleman who'd refuse coffee when calling on others was a disgrace, my mother would say, so I gauged it and gauged it until I found a suitable balance.

That would be last, because if it were too tepid, it wouldn't be to his liking.

A fresh stack of pancakes in hand, I made my way into the dining room.

"I will serve," Angelique offered, addressing me for the first time.

"No. Absolutely not."

I couldn't afford her misplacing my decorations.

The order of the food served mattered to me as well. I started with the women and ended at the men for I wanted theirs to be the hottest. Mason was terrible on Saturday mornings such as these, so he'd be late.

Once the table was set, decorated so fancily that the king himself would take notice, I backed into the kitchen, horrified to see Angelique with a cup of coffee in hand.

The cook apologized to me with her worried expression and I cleared my throat.

A thundering set of footsteps came from the hall. Lana and her dumb brother.

"Cook, start the water again," I commanded and ushered Angelique through the door.

I wanted to advise her to abandon that coffee but there was no time. Perhaps we'd have some luck and she knew what she was doing.

Duchess Chamberlain was impressed. She eyed the coffee and raised an eyebrow at me.

I shook my head. This one, I wouldn't take the blame for.

Lana was the first to enter. She stopped at the door and turned to her brother, ordering, "Enter like a human being and not like a wild deer."

Mason gave her a nod. "Understood, little miss. Understood."

When his eyes caught sight of the setting, his lips parted.

Lana exclaimed, "It's a banquet!"

As expected, Mason's narrowed vision meant he'd sit down and, with any luck, start eating before he noticed the new guest.

He was two bites into his pancakes, nearly drooling when his mother called Angelique over.

She put the coffee down and circled the table to sit opposite Mason.

At bite number four, he slowed in chewing and sat up, a stone cold expression on his face.

In another life, the duchess should have been an actress. She almost made me into a believer as she gushed about Angelique having returned from studying overseas.

By the time the story ended, Mason's fork was down and he was no longer eating.

He looked more like a killer or a mad dog than a man.

Duchess Chamberlain shot me a worried look and I pulled out a chair beside Angelique.

I was sure to keep my head down as I coughed.

This was a risky move, which would prove embarrassing if Mason's so-called affection for me wasn't all that strong.

"Are you all right?" he asked finally.

A glance at his mother gave her the cue to step in.

"Oh, Governess, you must be so exhausted. Waking up so early to make everything for our guest. And you've barely recovered. Oh, I told you to not exhaust yourself so." She risked sitting and urged all in attendance, "Come, let's not let this lovely food go to waste."

The air was tense but the duke did the honors of eating. Lana even broke her 'lady-like' façade to praise me.

Mason didn't move. His eyes stayed fixed on his mother, then Angelique and I took a deep breath and summoned my confidence. When I stood to reach across the table for his plate, he caught the dish.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, if you don't like them—"

"Who says I didn't like them?"

On a normal day, I'd state the obvious but I had an end goal to achieve.

"Really. It's all right. The cook can make something else. I was a little tired."

But he held onto the plate, I did as well.

The moment he stroked my hand, helping me to break my hold, Angelique gasped. I, in turn, froze. This wasn't a part of the plan.

"Sit down," Mason insisted. "You're still recovering."

The shock wore off enough for me to settle into my chair again. He ate quietly but seemed to enjoy the food despite the company.

Angelique eyed me. I sat up to eye her back, insulted. I was a professional.

Mason's growl broke through our tension. "Ag. Who made this dreck?"

Both the duchess and Angelique blushed but I stood and reached for the cup.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I must have mixed up the amount. I'll make it again."

When he almost caught my hand this time, I pulled back to avoid being touched.

The action quieted him. He made no complaints after that. In fact, he sipped the coffee momentarily, took a deep breath, and tilted his head back to finish it.

Judging from that scowl, I feared the coffee might come back up.

Breakfast progressed in relative ease after that.

The duchess was pleased. I used all the sympathy I'd earned to ask Angelique, "Do you enjoy sledding?"

She set her mouth to answer but a quick kick fixed that problem.

"Why, yes. I'd enjoyed it immensely as a child."

"Good. You can take Lana—"

"Governess," Lana said, alarmed, "you said you would take me!"

Mason shushed her. "She's still recovering. I'll stay behind in case she needs anything and the four of you can enjoy yourselves."

A sharp jab came to my shin and I bit back a cry.

Despite often thinking of Mason as simple, I had to give him credit. He'd been right. I still was not one hundred percent.

But I had a job and I did it by telling Lana, "I'll gladly go as well if you'd like." Before her brother could interject, I told him, "And since I haven't tried it before, would you help me?"

A blush crept up his face at an almost comical speed.

This went against my plan. Rather than allowing Angelique and Mason some time to become reacquainted while playing with Lana, I'd have to go along.

"Well, how about we postpone today's and do it properly in a week's time? You'll be better by then."

Mason's care with me took me aback. His eyes held sincere worry so I nodded but was sure to move my foot before Angelique could kick me yet again for deviating from the plan.